


It's all I could dream to call you mine

by makesometime



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Married Couple, Post-Game(s), Tried to be relatively light on spoilers, Wedding Rings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 11:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20208763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makesometime/pseuds/makesometime
Summary: The ring has a surprising weight to it as Byleth turns it over in her hands. Her mother wore this ring. Her father gave it as a sign of love that she never expected to find for herself. Its weight comes from its history, its meaning, more than anything physical. She runs a nail lightly over the gems and smiles at their twinkle.





	It's all I could dream to call you mine

**Author's Note:**

> Something short and sweet for these two idiots as I process my feelings over finishing the game. I really love Hanneman, guys. What a brilliant idiot he is. How will I ever love anyone else?

The ring has a surprising weight to it as Byleth turns it over in her hands. Her mother wore this ring. Her father gave it as a sign of love that she never expected to find for herself. Its weight comes from its history, its meaning, more than anything physical. She runs a nail lightly over the gems and smiles at their twinkle. 

She’s been carrying this with her on and off since the final battle. Some days she leaves it in Jeralt’s office, no longer needing its comfort. Others, she finds herself carving a familiar path through the monastery, hands not steady until they are holding the ring once more.

Turning her left hand over, she takes a moment to admire the band she wears now. An unexpected gift from her beloved, far more suited than the one from her past. Green, like her eyes. For someone who professed not to know how to treat women, he showed desperate cleverness in his choice. 

She settles the other ring on her middle finger. Beside each other the difference is even more stark. This ring may belong to her, but it is not _hers_. And it is time to let it rest.

A throat clears from the doorway, a gentle alert to the presence of her husband. She looks up, folding her hand into a fist. She feels a little… embarrassed almost. Caught.

Hanneman walks closer to her, tender smile on his face. Since the war, he’s loosened up a little in a way that Manuela cannot help but comment on, frequently. He perches on the side of Jeralt’s - soon to be Alois’ - desk and reaches out for her hand.

Byleth ponders an attempt to slide the ring off of her finger as a quick sleight of hand, but she has every faith that she would fumble it. Instead, she lays her left hand in his, feeling the momentary coolness of his own wedding band against her skin.

“I missed you this afternoon.” He speaks more softly now, none of his previous pomp necessary when it’s just the two of them. His gaze tracks down to their joined hands, a crease forming between his eyebrows at what he sees. “What is this?”

“It was my mother’s. Jeralt said he hoped that one day I would give it to someone I love.”

She smoothes her fingertips over the sensitive inside of his wrist, glancing up to find his eyes twinkling with a particular mirth. “Surely then, this is mine?”

Byleth laughs, pushing up out of the chair and moving to stand before him without ever dropping his hold. “It would have been, but you beat me to it that day.”

In amongst the chaos and confusion of trying to lead the new world, these quiet moments with Hanneman are so precious. Byleth leans into his leg, stroking her free hand over the cravat that he so painstakingly dons each and every morning. 

His fingers envelope her own, holding her tighter than she ever dared hope someone would. “I’d be happy to wear it, you know. Even if it isn’t really my style…”

She takes advantage of his easy humour and reduced height to surprise him with a kiss. This is still, even after months of marriage, a pure delight the likes of which she’s never known. The slight tickle of his moustache, the way his initial hesitance has faded into an eager hunger, heart beating a mile a minute under her palm.

“I don’t think I will ever tire of this. Of you.”

She _longs_ to kiss him again, even as the bells chime for dinner. 

They could skip it, perhaps? Even if she was meant to meet Mercedes for dinner…

“I know that look.” He teases, resting his forehead against hers. “We will have time later, my love. We have nothing but time now.”

It’s a pretty lie, but she’ll allow him one of those per day. Stepping back, she slips her hands from his and slowly removes her mother’s ring. When she folds her fist around it, it doesn’t feel like quite such a burden any longer.

“Would you keep this safe? I was going to leave it here, but with Alois taking over soon... “ She looks around the room, unable to keep the wistfulness from her tone. “It could be yours, as my parents wished. And in time, perhaps we’ll have someone to pass it on to.”

Hanneman splutters even as she leads him from the room, feigning ignorance with the skill years of teaching teenagers gave her. She will have to face up to it later, when he pulls her close with that adorable pinched confused stammering, blush highlighting his cheeks.

Until then, she will enjoy this day of relative peace. For if the past few months have taught her anything, it would be a blessing indeed to have two such days in a row...


End file.
